The Voyagers in - Australia
by RevvEmUp
Summary: Sixth installation of The Voyagers. The Voyagers travel to Perth after contacting a man living there. They soon enter a race for oil, but danger lurks within the outback for the racers.
1. Chapter 1

In the year 2040 in the Australian outback, an archaeological project was underway around carvings of rocks: petroglyphs. Betty Grof was a thirty-something-year-old archaeologist who was studying the petroglyphs for six months and had arrived in Perth a week ago. She was in the process of dusting the petroglyphs, walking blindly to the right. She then bumped into someone as she was dusting. "Ah! Sorry!" she apologized.

She looked to her right and saw a man about her height with olive skin, scruffy black neck-long hair, and circular glasses. "No, it was my fault, I didn't see you there." the man apologized. "Hey, what's your name?" Betty asked the man. "I'm Simon Petrikov; aspiring antiquarian." the man introduced himself. "Hi, Simon. You can call me Betty, Betty Grof." Betty introduced herself.

In present year of 3046, Finn just crashed Afterburn into a bakery in Hub City. "Course failed. Please evacuate the vehicle." Minerva's computerized voice announced from the dashboard. "Ugh, I'm never gonna get the hang of this!" Finn cried as the airbag deflated from his face. He left the vehicle before it transforms into Transtector mode, pulling itself out of the bakery. "Sorry about that!" Finn yelled into the bakery for any bakers to hear.

From his backpack, he feels his phone vibrating. He grabs his phone and answers the call. "'Sup, Finn?" Jake's voice greeted him. "Things aren't looking good. Ever since we got back from Japan, mom had me do these driver's tests. I can't seem to get it right." Finn said. "You can drive a motorcycle but you can't drive a car?" Jake said in confusion.

"Bikes have less stuff than cars. There's no seatbelt, no gear, no rear-view mirror, just the minimum for motorized transportation, y'know." Finn said as Afterburn transformed into vehicle mode. "You'll get it eventually. Anyways, we're about to go on another mission. Your mom said we're going to a place called 'Australia'." Jake said. "Can't wait to go. Beats driving this thing." Finn said as he entered the front passenger seat of Afterburn. They drive out to the Hub Docks where Ursa Kildare was being loaded by human personnel.

He then sees his team on the docks with a Minervabot. "Hey, I'm here!" Finn announced himself as he rushed out of the car. "Hello, Finn. I heard your test did not go smoothly." Minerva said to Finn. "Let's just stop talking about that. What do we know about Australia?" Finn asked Minerva. "We actually managed to make remote contact with someone from Australia named 'Ned L. Banes', a local of their western city, Perth. Once you dock at their city, you should meet with him." Minerva explained.

"I've been to Australia before. It's where I met Betty. It was pretty hot, especially in the outback; the wilds of Australia." Simon added. "Cargo is loaded. I'll just have Springer carry Afterburn onto the ship and you'll be good to go." Minerva informed them. The Voyagers board the ship as Springer grapples his magnetic cables onto Afterburn's roof and carries it onto the helipad where Fallback waited in robot mode. "'Straya! Can you believe it?! I'll never forget the day I landed there." Fallback said as Springer lowered Afterburn. "According to reports, you landed in a cluster of eucalyptus trees, causing a wide-spread forest fire." Springer said after transforming into robot mode.

"Yeah… great times…" Fallback reminisced. Soon, the groundbrige arch is deployed from beneath the water and fires up for Ursa Kildare to propel towards it. The ship enters the groundbridge and disappears to the other end of the world. The ship later emerged in warm and sunny waters. Simon looked at the landmass on the horizon and reminisced.

1006 years ago, Simon flew above Perth in a commercial airliner. He looked out of his window seat and saw the city below him. "Why'd ya bring me along?" a black man wearing a red T-shirt and hiking shorts sitting next to Simon asked in annoyance. "Al, you need to get out more. If you want to be in a band, you have to get used to travelling." Simon said. "Hey, hey, hey! Theo's back from number two!" a chubby man wearing a green sweater vest announced himself to the two as he came by their seats.

In the present, the ship arrives at the docks among smaller fishing boats made from scrap. The rag-wearing citizens gaze upon the massive ship as it deploys its boarding steps. "Remember Jake, act like a dog." Finn reminded Jake. "You think I wouldn't know this by now?" Jake rebutted as he went on four legs. They all disembark form the ship and observe their surroundings.

Behind the ogling humans was a city made of scrap metal pieced together around a ruined city. "Hey, everyone. I'm Finn, and these are my friends. We come from a land called Ooo and we're looking for someone called Ned L. Banes." Finn announced to the citizens. They start murmuring amongst each other. They suddenly fall silent as a dark figure approaches.

They part to let the figure through to The Voyagers. It was a man wearing a black tank top, army pants with black combat boots, fingerless gloves, a tattoo of a crossed-out nettle plant on his right shoulder, and a black gas mask with two filters and menacing triangular red eyes. "Hi, do you know where Ned is?" Finn asked the man. The man looks at each one of them, stopping at Jake. "Izzat a dog? 'Aven't seen a dog in forever, those Brisbane folk kept them all to themselves. What's his name?" the man asked excitedly with a soft Australian accent.

"Ahem, we're looking for Mister Banes." Simon repeated. "Ah, sorry, that's me, Ned L. Banes. My friends call me Ned, and everyone calls me Nettlebane. Get it? Ned L. Banes; Nettlebane!" the man introduced himself jovially. "Hi, Ned. I'm Finn, my dog is Jake, the one with the tie is Simon, Chad's the one in the lab coat, Seamus is the one in the jumpsuit, and the one towering over us is Elisa." Finn introduced his team. "She's a big girl!" Ned said as he looked up to Elisa.

Simon then whispers something into Elisa's ear. "For you." Elisa said. "Oh dear, sorry, I already have a girlfriend!" Ned said sheepishly. "Mind giving us a tour, Ned?" Simon asked Ned. "Got it. Follow me!" Ned said as he gestured the team into the city.

They walk through a bustling fish market selling non-mutated fish. "This is Perth, the west city of Australia. There are five others; Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, and Adelaide." Ned began. "What happened to Hobart and Canberra?" Simon asked. "Hobart? Canberra? I haven't heard those names since history class! I dunno how, but Tasmania just disappeared. Canberra got conquered by Sydney some hundred years ago." Ned explained. "You mean it just sank?" Simon asked Ned.

"Probably. No one cared to find out." Ned added. "So, what do you do around here, Ned?" Finn asked. "I'm a racer! I drive cars really fast." Ned answered. "There are races?" Seamus repeated. "Yeah, there's this big race every year when the six cities race for an oil tower slap bang in the outback, Brisbane won last year. It's called Battle Road. One racer from each city drives their car into the outback and claims the tower. Weapons are used to destroy other cars, disqualifying their representative city." Ned explained.

"Somehow I knew there was a little bit of Mad Max around here." Simon commented. In the distance, a muffled announcement was blaring. "What's that?" Finn wondered. "I forgot to tell you, it's race day! Follow me!" Ned hurried. They chased Ned as he ran through the market, through the city, and to a street where many people gathered around the road. "Hey everyone, Nettlebane's here!" a random bystander said to the crowd.

The crowd starts cheering for Ned, saying things like: "Go get that oil!", "Make 'em eat your dust!" and repeating his name over and over again. "He's like a celebrity." Chad commented. The crowd parts for Ned, revealing a modified black station-wagon-S.U.V. hybrid with an exposed engine block, machine guns mounted on the back doors, and spikes on the hubcaps. "Guys, this is the Stinger, my Battle Car." Ned introduced The Voyagers to his car. "Is that a Ford Broncus?" Simon wondered. "That's what it used to say on the grille: 'Broncus' all in big letters." Ned answered. "You guys best stay back on the side, the exhaust is pretty wild." Ned warned them. He enters the Stinger as the crowd moves away from the car, including The Voyagers. A man at a traffic light in front of Ned manipulates the lights via its manual control at the shaft.

The light first turns red; Ned starts the car with a thunderous roar. The light turns yellow; Ned puts the gear to drive. "I haven't seen a race in a good while!" Seamus said excitedly. The light turns green; Ned steps on the accelerator. The Stinger suddenly explodes violently.

Ned is propelled into the air and crashes into an adjacent building's third floor window. "Ned!" Finn cried. The Voyagers enter the building and go to third floor where they see Ned unconscious and flat on his face covered in burns. "Ned, are you alright?!" Finn asked Ned worriedly. Elisa turns him over and removes his gas mask, revealing a well-shaven man with messy brown hair.

She removes a medical kit from her belt, opens it, and uses a stethoscope to find his heartbeat. "Breathing is stable, so is his heartbeat. It's amazing that he didn't die from the explosion." Elisa remarked. "Said the literal manhunting superhuman." Seamus commented. "We need to get him some help." Finn said. "I'll find a hospital or a clinic of sorts." Simon said.

Ned was later placed in a small clinic nearby where he was on a bed being bandaged on his legs by two nurses. Overlooking his treatment were The Voyagers. "What's gonna happen to the race?" Seamus wondered. Approaching them was a young woman with long black hair wearing a yellow mechanic jumpsuit. "Where's my brother, is he okay?" the woman wondered.

"Who're you?" Finn asked her. "I'm Michelle, Ned's sister and mechanic." the woman introduced herself. "Hi Michelle, we're The Voyagers." Finn introduced the team once more. "I heard about you. Ned told me about you a few days ago." Michelle added. "So you worked on Stinger?" Seamus asked.

"Before you say anything; I didn't do anything to Stinger for… 'that' to happen." Michelle explained. "There is absolutely no doubt that Ned can't participate in the race. Look at him! He looks like something that came out of an oven an hour late!" Seamus commented. "The race is put on hold until tomorrow for Perth to find a new racer." Michelle informed them. "What about you, Seamus? You looked pretty excited when Ned showed us his car." Chad suggested. "Me? I'm just a mechanic! Sure I can drive, but I really don't like being shot at." Seamus refused.

"Do you guys have a car?" Michelle wondered. "Sure, it's in our ship." Finn answered. They walk down to the docks where Michelle looks in awe at Ursa Kildare. "That's one big ship." Michelle commented. "We call it Ursa Kildare." Finn said.

They walk up to the helipad where Springer, Fallback, and Afterburn stood in vehicle mode. "Where did you get these? They look brand-new and shiny!" Michelle wondered. "My mom gave them to us. She's our leader back home." Finn answered. "That off-roader looks Battle Road-ready! Let's take that one!" Michelle suggested. "Actually… give us some time to discuss." Seamus said.

Michelle leaves the helipad and closes the door behind her. Fallback transforms into robot mode and faces them. "So, what am I getting myself into?" Fallback wondered. "We're racing for an oil tower and shooting racers." Seamus answered. "You lost me at 'shooting racers'. I'm out." Fallback refused.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

"I wasn't going to say any of that. What I wanted to say is that we use Afterburn. It's fast, faster than you." Seamus suggested. "Okay, but who's driving?" Jake wondered. "I'll do it!" Finn volunteered. "You? You can't drive!" Seamus objected. "Seamus, there's a battle part of the Battle Road. I think I can learn to drive better when I'm in danger." Finn explained. "If that's the case, you need an instructor, not a program written by your mother." Simon added.

"Are other people allowed to come with the racer?" Finn wondered. "Let's ask Michelle." Elisa said. Finn opens the exit door and sees Michelle looking through a porthole. "Hey, we need to ask you some things about the race." Finn said to Michelle. "Shoot." Michelle replied.

"Are there any rules against a passenger coming along with the driver?" Finn asked. "Mechanics can tag along for repairs, so yeah; you can bring a plus-one." Michelle answered. "That's great! I'll get the car ready." Finn said excitedly. "Need some help?" Michelle asked Finn. "It's fine… we… already have a mechanic with us… yeah…" Finn said nervously as he tried to hide the fact that Afterburn is a Transformer.

"Well, okay… I'll see you tomorrow. I'll go tell the commission that you're replacing Ned." Michelle said. She then walks away from Finn to leave the ship. Finn walks back to the helipad to face his team. "Okay, Seamus. You're with me in the race!" Finn declared. "I just said I don't want to get shot at!" Seamus refused.

"Who else here can drive a car?" Finn asked his team. Simon raises his hand. "Pick him! He knows how to drive a car!" Seamus suggested. "Seamus, you know about racing than anyone here, well, you actually the only one who knows about racing here. All I know about racing is that stock cars just turn left really fast and F-Ones and IndyCars are different." Simon suggested. "Seamus, what did you expect when joining The Voyagers?" Finn asked.

"I wanted to see the world. I'm one of the people who wanted to know what was out there. I heard your speech when you came to Founders' Island, but I didn't have the guts to go then and there, because I knew there was some truth of the Founders' philosophy. I thought when I joined The Voyagers, it would be safe. But no, we had to deal with killer frogs, military robots, more robots, and now I'm going out there with actual, real-life people trying to demolish my behind!" Seamus explained. "Hey, no sacrifice, no victory, is a saying that's been passed down from my family ever since my a-lot-great-grandpa heard it from someone." Elisa assured Seamus. "That's basically saying I have to die for us to win!" Seamus exclaimed. "Aw come on!" Jake encourage. He then grows his eyes to a ginormous size and says "Pleeease?" in a high-toned voice.

"Ugh, get those back to regular size! I'll do it, but I won't like it." Seamus accepted reluctantly. "Great, let's get Afterburn souped up like chowder!" Finn said excitedly. Finn walks to the wall and pulls a lever. The helipad splits in half from the sides for a car workshop platform to emerge from the hull beneath, complete with a pit, robot arms, and racks with guns and blades to be attached to Afterburn. "I've always wanted to see a ride being pimped." Simon said excitedly.

The Voyagers get to work modifying Afterburn's vehicle mode. Seamus was performing the usual engine modification. Elisa worked the robot arms to attach weapons. Finn and Jake were in charge of painting the car with only an assortment of spray paint. Simon watched as they do so. Meanwhile, Chad roamed Perth to take notes.

"This is the first time we've ever encountered a thriving civilization outside Ooo." Chad noted as he looked around the market surrounding him. He laid eye upon Michelle at a fish stall. "Miss Banes!" Chad called out to her. Michelle turns her head to him as he approaches. "You're one of Finn's friends, are you? What was your name?" Michelle greeted him.

"Chandler White; Voyagers intelligence officer, but my friends call me Chad." Chad introduced himself. "You don't look like a 'Chad' to me. More like a… 'Sam'." Michelle commented. "I don't want to get into detail about my nickname. Let's just say I got it in high school and it just stuck." Chad explained. "High school? What's that, a school above sea level?" Michelle wondered. "I believe the old-world term for high school in Australia is secondary school." Chad said.

"Oh, that's what you meant!" Michelle realized. "If you don't mind me asking, I want to ask some questions about Australia." Chad said as he produced a notepad from his lab coat and clicked a pen. "Okay, but be quick. I have groceries to buy." Michelled agreed. "That's a good start; what is the financial system like?" Chad asked. "We trade things for scrap. There's bunches further inland, so we sometimes go out there to scavenge. We don't go into the outback or the Roos will get us." Michelle explained.

"What are the 'Roos'?" Chad wondered. "Terrible things; they can punch and kick through metres of rock. The only way to beat them is if you're faster than them, hence why only racers can get into the outback. Keep that in mind for tomorrow." Michelle warned. "Anything else we should keep an eye out for?" Chad asked. "Newcalyptus trees. We farm some for oil to refine when we don't win a Battle Road. If you're not careful, an entire bush of them can go kablooey!" Michelle added. "Exploding trees? And I thought I've seen everything back home." Chad noted.

"Uh… is there anything else we should know about?" Chad asked her. "Koalas." Michelle said. "What are koalas?" Chad asked. "Huge grey furry animals. They latch onto newcalyptus trees and feed on their leaves. They're harmless on their own, but they can easily fall off a tree when they're asleep and crush a car." Michelle explained. "How huge are we talking?" Chad wondered.

Michelle points behind her to an eight-feet-tall animal with grey fur sleeping in the middle of the market pathway as people in uniformly-designed scrap armour try to push it away. "Wow, that's huge." Chad noted. "I gotta go get more groceries. Good luck on the race tomorrow, you'll need it." Michelle said before walking away. Chad looks to his notepad of things he learned from Michelle.

* * *

\- Finance: scrap

\- Roos: dangerous punching and kicking animals(?)

\- Newcalyptus: alternative fuel source, exploding tree

\- Koala: giant bear thing, big and heavy, falls on cars

* * *

"Boy, will Seamus be surprised out there." Chad chuckled.

The next day, a crowd gathered at a new street far from the original starting line and further to the city outskirts. Michelle was among the crowd at the sides waiting for The Voyagers' arrival. "Where could they be? The race is about to start soon." Michelle wondered as she tapped her foot. She soon hears a mechanical humming sound from above, followed by strong wind and a shadow cast over the crowd. They look up to see Springer in helicopter mode carrying something underneath him.

The crowd walks away from the road as Springer lands on the road, letting go of his cargo. The cargo in question was Afterburn, now sporting a brown paintjob over flames painted on the rear and portraits of Finn and Jake on each door, off-road tires, an exposed engine block, and a spiked snowplough-like bumper at the front. The crowd murmurs at the sight of the car. Springer hovers over Afterburn for Finn and Seamus to hop out of Springer's cargo area. Trying to fit with the wasteland aesthetic, Finn wore a pair of brass goggles with his regular blue shirt, shorts, and hat as Seamus was still wearing his mechanic jumpsuit.

"Good morning, Perth! Your racer is here!" Finn announced. The crowd gives him a cheer for him to wave back to them. A holographic screen projects from two lamp posts on the street, displaying the face of a blonde Caucasian man in his thirties with a mohawk and a headset. "Hello Perth! And to your newest team… The Voyagers!" the man announced. "This is Lee Prescott coming to you live for Battle Road!" the man introduced himself.

"This year's line-up, from first to last place in last year's Battle Road;" Lee began. "Gordon Gore, hailing from Brisbane in the Meat Grinder!" displaying on the hologram was a tall and buff bald Caucasian man wearing a leather jacket, jeans, knuckle-spiked gloves, and spike-toed boots beside a black muscle car without a roof and machine guns replacing headlights. "Violent Death from Sydney in the Wheel Slasher!" displayed next was a young Aboriginal woman with dreadlocks, a purple bandanna hanging from her neck, a blue tank top, and baggy olive pants beside a green chopper motorcycle equipped with spikes on the hub of the wheels. "Taking the place of Nettlebane is Finn Mertens and Seamus Dyson in Afterburn!" a picture of both Finn and Seamus beside Afterburn is shown next.

"Risk from Melbourne in the Electric Boogaloo!" a picture of an older Arab man with a short black beard wearing a black traditional racing fire suit next to a sleek light blue sports car bearing a grappling hook mounted on the back. "And last, but not least, we have Mass Graves from Adelaide in the Ace of Shovels!" a pale chubby man wearing only black pants and a white crash helmet with sharp teeth painted over the visor appeared last next to a grey six-wheeled pickup truck. "In case anyone forgot, the goal is to get to the oil tower in the outback and open the valve to your city. Feel free to take out the competition as you like, but no killing, no city can afford to lose racers." Lee reminded. "Before we begin, let us recite the ancient anthem, Advance Australia Fair." Lee announced. Finn and Seamus looked at the crowd standing straight as Lee plays an instrumental recording starting with trumpets.

* * *

Australians all let us rejoice

For we are young and free

We've golden soil and wealth for toil

Our home is girt by sea

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair

In joyful strains then let us sing

Advance Australia Fair

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross

We'll toil with hearts and hands

To make this Commonwealth of ours

renowned of all the lands

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share

With courage let us all combine

To Advance Australia Fair

In joyful strains then let us sing

Advance Australia Fair

* * *

"Racers, to your vehicles!" Lee announced. Finn and Seamus hurry inside Afterburn and gets ready by grabbing the wheel. "You didn't start the car." Seamus reminded Finn. "Sorry." Finn apologized. He presses a button on the dash for Afterburn's engine to roar to life.

"On your marks…" Lee began as a traffic light lit up red. "Seatbelts." Seamus reminded Finn. "Alright." Finn said as he strapped himself in the same time as Seamus does. "What else should I do, Seamus?" Finn asked. "Put your foot on the accelerator, not the brakes. The bring the gear from parking to drive." Seamus instructed.

"Get set…" Lee said as the traffic light turned yellow. "How do I do that thing that makes the engine go louder but I stay in place?" Finn asked Seamus. "Put gear on parking then step on the accelerator." Seamus answered. Finn does so and Afterburn's engine roars for the crowd, showing off its engine power. "Go!" Lee exclaimed as the traffic light turned green.

"Gear to drive!" Seamus commanded. "Drive?!" Finn asked. "Yes, drive!" Seamus answered. Finn shifts the gear from parking to drive while his foot remained on the gas pedal, propelling Afterburn towards the Australian Outback.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Inside Ursa Kildare's bridge, Chad was working on a central console at the very front as Jake, Simon, and Elisa sat some distance behind him on metal folding chairs. "Hurry up! I wanna see Finn in action!" Jake hurried Chad. A holographic screen projects into the middle of the room, just in front of Jake, Simon, and Elisa. It displayed footage of Afterburn accelerating from the starting line from a high angle, presumably from the top of a building. "Look at him go! You can do it, Finn!" Jake cheered.

"Jake, he's had days of lessons and he crashes every time. What makes you so sure he can win a race?" Simon asked Jake in uncertainty. "He's got Seamus with him. He knows how to drive, more than that digital program thing that's been teaching Finn." Jake answered. The hologram footage switches to camera footage of Afterburn's rear end, recording live from a camera drone. They were driving through the street eastbound and were zigzagging through the lanes. "Slow down!" Seamus advised as he held onto the celling handle with both hands.

"How?!" Finn asked. "Don't put your foot down all the way! Just push it a little!" Seamus instructed. Finn lifts his foot from the accelerator, slowing the car significantly to a controllable speed. The two panted heavily as they calmed down. "I… whew… I think I know why you keep on crashing." Seamus said as he let go of the bar.

"So, I just keep this speed for the rest of the race?" Finn asked. "No. if you want to handle higher speeds, you have to increase it slowly throughout the course of the race. Right now you're at a hundred-twenty miles per hour. Increase when I say so." Seamus advised. "Man, you're good at this driving thing." Finn complimented. "It's common to drive around Founder's Island. I just took the test like anyone else at sixteen." Seamus corrected.

Afterburn's radio crackles as a transmission was coming in. "Ursa Kildare to Afterburn, this is Jake." Jake's voice spoke. Finn grabs the receiver as he drives. "Afterburn to Ursa Kildare, this is Finn." Finn greeted. Seamus grabs the receiver from his hands.

"Don't use any devices while driving, communication radios included." Seamus scolded Finn. "This is Seamus. What's up?" Seamus asked Jake. "We're watching the race from the ship and saw the car swerve a little just now. Is everything okay?" Jake asked. "I found out why Finn keeps on crashing. He slams on the accelerator too hard. I told him to keep a constant speed of a hundred-twenty miles per hour until I tell him to increase it." Seamus explained as he looked at Finn. "That's good to hear. Good luck on the race! Everyone in Perth is counting on you guys. Ursa Kildare out." Jake said before hanging up.

"How long should this race take, again?" Finn asked Seamus. "At the speed you're going, we should be at this 'Alice Springs' in twelve hours. If you reach two-hundred, we would probably be there in half the time." Seamus answered. "So, when do I speed up?" Finn inquired. "Like I said; when I say so." Seamus answered.

They continue driving down the empty street eastbound. In Ursa Kildare, the rest of the team view broadcasts of drone footage of the other five racers. "I hope Finn gets to that oil tower." Chad said as he held a bucket of popcorn. "We're just filling in for someone. It's not like the entire city will come for us if Finn doesn't win." Jake reminded him. "He's right. If we want to make a good impression on these people, winning a race in their name would do the trick." Simon said.

On the helipad, Springer and Fallback were standing by in vehicle mode. Fallback was viewing the broadcast from within his mainframe and grumbled in his communication system. "Fallback, I can hear you grumbling. I thought you said you didn't want to take part in the race." Springer communicated to Fallback. "I did, and now I wish I didn't. Look at those humans! They're kicking up sand like its no-one's business! I just wanna get out there and feel that hot Earth sand beneath my tires!" Fallback said. "I know what you're thinking, and I advise you not to do it. But I'm guessing you're going to do it anyway and I'm too helpless to stop you." Springer commented.

"Bloody oath!" Fallback said as he turned around to the dock. He accelerates off the helipad and into the market area where he drives eastwards. "I'm not paid enough for this." Springer bemoaned. He changes his channel to communicate with the team in the bridge, interrupting the current broadcast. "Hey, we were watching that!" Jake scolded.

"Fallback's gone." Springe informed them. "Gone? What do you mean by 'gone'?" Simon asked as he stood from his seat. "He felt jealous that Finn and Seamus are in the race so he decided to follow them." Springer explained. "We need to get him before they find out you guys are aliens!" Elisa advised. "I'm going with you. You might need an extra pair of hands for this." Simon volunteered.

"Go ahead. We need to catch him quickly before he does anything brash." Springer hurried. Simon rushed to Springer's left crew door as he started to whirl his rotors. They soon took off in the direction where Fallback was headed. "Let's hope he isn't behind Finn already." Simon said as he strapped himself into Springer's pilot seat. They fly above the city as the citizens look in awe at the flying machine.

It has been three hours into the race and Finn and Seamus have already left the city and are driving down a road down a barren plain. They pass a road sign marking the start of the outback. "We've already entered. Now, increase speed to one-sixty." Seamus advised. Finn complies and steps on the accelerator more, speeding up. Afterburn proceeds to accelerate faster.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Finn said. "Don't celebrate too soon. We're not there yet." Seamus said. They drive into the barren desert, finding nothing but the hardiest of grass and trees. "Man, there's nothing here." Finn noted. "So far, I don't see any of those things that Doctor White mentioned." Seamus added.

The road slowly transitions from asphalt to sand. "Hey, the road's gone." Finn said. "No, there's a faint dirt track ahead. Follow that and we'll make it to Alice Springs." Seamus advised. They continue driving through the desert as, unknown to them, Fallback was miles behind them. "There they are. Time to show the boss-kid what real offroadin' looks like!" Fallback said excitedly.

He passes by a large rock which disappears like a hologram, revealing a spiky black and green muscle car. The muscle car accelerates towards Fallback and passes by him. "Where'd this drongo come from?" Fallback wondered. He catches up with the mysterious car and eventually drives side-by-side with it on its right. "G'day!" Fallback said within his communication systems.

A machine gun emerges from the muscle car's right rear window and shoots Fallback. "Oi, watch it!" Fallback retaliated. He manipulates his rear turret to shoot the muscle car back. He then receives a transmission on his radio. "Stay out of my way, Autobot." a gravelly voice with a British accent threatened Fallback.

A robotic hand emerges from the side of the car and smacks Fallback away, causing him to tumble back, leaving him in the dust. Springer just arrived and landed some distance away from the wrecked Fallback. Simon emerges from Springer and approaches Fallback before Springer transforms into robot mode. "What happened back there?" Simon wondered as Fallback transformed into robot mode slowly. "You got some nerve pulling a stunt like that." Springer scolded Fallback as he prostrated on the ground.

"That driver… he knew I was an Autobot." Fallback said to them. "What?! How could they know? We just got here?" Simon said worriedly. "I don't think they were human. They used Stealth Force tech on me." Fallback corrected. "You mean they're a Decepticon?" Springer suggested. "Probably. Finn might be in danger." Fallback said.

"We need to alert the rest of the team." Simon said as Springer handed him a long-range walkie-talkie. In Ursa Kildare, Jake receives a call from Simon as he munched on a donut. "Y'ello!" Jake greeted Simon. "Jake, I think a Decepticon might be after Finn." Simon said. "Aren't the Autobots and Decepticons cool with each other now?" Jake wondered.

"We don't know if it's a Decepticon or not. We only know that they know Fallback is an Autobot." Springer added. "Well, since you guys are already out there, you should take care of it. We'll keep you updated on the race." Jake said. "Thanks. I'll make sure Finn returns safely." Simon assured Jake. "Don't forget about Seamus." Jake reminded him as he prepared another donut to eat. "Yeah, him too. Simon out." Simon said before hanging up.

"Fallback, transform into vehicle mode and pursue the guy on the ground. Springer and I will be in the skies." Simon instructed them. "Yes, sir!" the two Autobots acknowledged. Fallback transforms into vehicle mode and continued eastwards as Springer transformed into helicopter mode for Simon to enter him. They soon take to the skies and follow Fallback. "And I thought Fallback was the most dangerous thing to enter the outback today." Springer joked. "Scuse me!?" Fallback rebutted.

Some hours later, Finn and Seamus were traveling at a faster speed further into the outback. "So far, so good. We haven't encountered any racers or animals." Finn said. "We were almost blasted by, like, fifteen exploding trees back there!" Seamus corrected angrily. "And we're still fine! Why don't you look on the bright side, Seamus?" Finn said. "Well, I am still alive. I hope I didn't jinx us just now." Seamus replied.

They soon feel impact on the car from behind. "What was that?!" Finn wondered. Seamus looks through the rear-view mirror and sees a kangaroo with boxing gloves chasing after them. "This must be one of those Roos!" Seamus said. The kangaroo throws a fist at the trunk, denting it slightly.

"We need to shake this thing off!" Seamus advised. "Alright, transform!" Finn exclaimed as he reached for button on the console-mounted screen labelled "TRANSFORM". Seamus grabs his wrist before he could press it. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" Finn complained. "We're being broadcasted to the public! You can't transform now!" Seamus reminded Finn.

Finn pulls his hand out of Seamus' grip and puts it back on the wheel. "What are we going to do about it?" Finn asked Seamus. "I'll take care of that." Seamus assured. He presses a button on the console screen labelled "TRUNK: OPEN". The trunk of the car opens, revealing a hay bale that tumbles out.

The Roo stops and catches the bale before setting it down to eat it. "Simon said that kangaroos, the Roos' ancestors, ate grass. These guys must be so hungry from the lack of food in this wasteland that they're angry, angry enough to attack people." Seamus explained. "You could say they're 'hangry'!" Finn joked. The both then laugh. The mysterious car then passes the Roo as it chewed on a piece of hay.

Fallback also passes it in pursuit of the car. "There they are! We need to warn them!" Simon said as he spotted Afterburn. He tunes in to their radio frequency. "Finn, Seamus, this is Simon. You're being followed!" Simon warned them. Seamus picks up the receiver and speaks to Simon.

"Who's following us?" Seamus wondered. "We don't know, but they know we have Autobots!" Simon answered. "What?!" Seamus said in surprise. They soon feel another impact from behind. Seamus looks back and sees the car.

"Is it a scary-looking spiky black car?" Seamus asked Simon. "Yes, that's the one!" Simon answered. The mysterious car then shoots the camera drone down with its rear machine gun.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Back in Perth, the broadcasts of Afterburn disconnected, blacking out the holograms that dotted the city for all public to see, including the rest of the crew in Ursa Kildare. "Hey, what happened?" Jake wondered. Chad went to the communications console to communicate with Finn and Seamus. "Ursa Kildare to Afterburn, this is Chad. What happened out there?" Chad inquired. "Someone's chasing us!" Seamus panicked.

"Who?" Chad asked. Simon tuned into the transmission and displayed his face on the holographic screen. "We don't know. We know they may be Cybertronian, possibly a Decepticon. They're chasing after Finn and Seamus. Springer, Fallback, and I are in pursuit. I'll have Springer send a live feed of the guy." Simon explained. The screen switches to aerial footage of Fallback behind the black muscle car as it shot at Afterburn with its dual rear machine guns. "You gotta do something!" Jake insisted.

"Finn, Fallback, transform. The drone is down so nobody can see you." Chad suggested. "Way ahead of you!" Finn said. Seamus closes communications and opens the glove compartment, removing the Master Brace. "Autopilot: on!" Finn said as he pressed a button on the console screen. He takes his hands off the wheel and grabs the Master Brace from Seamus. He puts it on his right wrist and extends his arm. "Master Brace!" he yelled. His body is surrounded in blue light before dissipating, revealing the Headmaster armour. "Seamus, I'm going to eject your seat." Finn said to Seamus. "Wait a–" Seamus said before the roof opens up and is catapulted out of the car. He screams as he is sent flying into the air before a parachute ejects from the back of the seat.

He lands some distance behind Afterburn and the muscle car before Fallback pulls up next to him. Fallback opens his door and asks "Need a ride?". Back inside Afterburn, Finn was preparing to combine with Afterburn. "Head o–Ah!" Finn screamed as Afterburn suffers another impact from behind. The black muscle car slows down to give itself some space between it and Afterburn.

From its grille, four machine guns emerge and shoot Afterburn in the rear tires, causing Finn to spin out of control. The console screen displays a bird's-eye view of the car's schematics, showing the rear tires blinking red to alert Finn of a blowout. Afterburn swerves out of the muscle car's way as is drives past him. Afterburn finally stops as it crashes into large sleeping koala, oddly not awakening the sleeping mammal. Finn stumbles out of the driver's door and removes his helmet to puke on the sand.

"Ugh, my brain feels like it's been in a blender without a lid." Finn moaned. He removes his Master Brace as Fallback pulls up next to him and Seamus exits. "Finn, are you okay?" Seamus asked Finn. "Yeah, I'm fine." Finn answered. Springer soon lands in the vicinity for Simon to exit from the side door.

"Where did the guy go?" Simon wondered. "They shot my tires and drove off. I don't think they want me, I think they want to get to the oil tower." Finn suggested. "We need to hurry there. We'll take Springer." Simon suggested. "We have to use Afterburn to finish the race officially." Seamus said. "Where are we gonna get two replacement tires?" Finn wondered.

On Afterburn's console screen, the words "TIRE CHANGE" appears in red before an image of a spinning wheel appears. From Ursa Kildare's underwater torpedo tube, two projectiles are shot into the water that redirects into the air, breaching the water surface and flying above Perth. Back in the middle of nowhere, the three humans were still discussing their predicament. "What if we use Fallback's tires?" Finn suggested. Fallback transforms into robot mode to add his word.

"Ya ain't takin' my tires!" Fallback declared as he took a defensive stance. From behind, the two projectiles hit him in the head, causing him to collapse. "What was that?" Finn wondered. The projectiles fly into Afterburn's burst tires, revealing them to be spare wheels. "Where did those tires come from?" Finn wondered.

"Let's not look into this gift horse's mouth. We need to catch up to that guy!" Seamus hurried as Fallback carried the sleeping koala away from Afterburn. The two enter the car and drive off to chase the mysterious car. "Springer, we're going to follow them and broadcast camera footage to Perth. Fallback, you're coming with us, but keep yourself out of the camera's field of view." Simon instructed the two. Springer transforms into helicopter mode for Simon to enter and take off as Fallback does the same.

Sometime later throughout Perth, holograms previously displaying "NO SIGNAL" switch to footage of Afterburn kicking up sand as they drive east. The crowds cheer as they see their to-be-champion driving down the barren desert. At the same time, Chad tunes to the local broadcast to see Afterburn driving. "Yeah! He's back in the race!" Jake cheered. Elisa just smiles and claps like a child.

The five travel down the desert and eventually catch up to the mysterious car as they neared a small town where the oil tower would be. "Seamus, do we have any grappling hooks to catch 'em with?" Finn asked Seamus. "On it." Seamus said as he reached for the console screen. Afterburn's snowplough-bumper splits in two for a ridiculously-enormous grappling hook to pop out from underneath the car. It is launched at the car and crashes into the back window.

The car retaliates by driving even faster, dragging Afterburn to high speeds before braking at the edge of the small town, causing Afterburn to swerve into a house. The car then resumes its route. From inside Springer, Simon looks upon the town. "There it is… Alice Springs." Simon said softly. "Reminisce later, there almost at the tower!" Springer said to Simon.

On the ground, Finn rolls Afterburn out of the house. "You know how to straighten the car? Get yourself some space, pull the gear to reverse–" Seamus explained before being interrupted by Finn. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I got that from the driving program." Finn said as he put the gear to reverse. He turns backwards until he is aligned with the road and then drives to the tower. The catch up with the mysterious car as the tower was in sight.

The muscle car stops in front of a wire fence surrounding the perimeter of the tower. "We got him now!" Finn said excitedly. The car then transforms into a tall and spindly Transformer with a hook for a right hand and the engine portion forming their contrasting bulky lower legs. "He is a Cybertronian!" Seamus noted. Arriving just then were the other racers; Gordon Gore, Violent Death, Risk, and Mass Graves.

They exit their vehicles and look upon the giant. "Ugh, humans." the yellow-eyed, skull-faced Transformer scoffed. He points shoulder-mounted machine guns at them as Finn watches. "No!" Finn cried. He rams Afterburn into the Transformer and quickly transforms into robot mode.

Finn and Seamus are ejected from Afterburn as it fights autonomously. "Hey kid, what in the world is going on?" Violent Death asked Finn. "Long story." Finn said as he put on his Master Brace. He transforms into a Headmaster and fights the Cybertronian. "I'll be getting that oil!" Gordon said as he vaulted over the fence.

Mass Graves pulls him down by his jacket onto the ground. The four then fight each other as Seamus lets himself through the fence gate. "You're a Headmaster and a human. You really are an interesting human, Finn." The Cybertronian said to Afterburn. "How do you know my name?" Afterburn asked the Cybertronian. A missile hits the Cybertronian in the shoulder from behind Finn.

He turns around and sees Springer, Fallback, and Simon. "Guys…" Afterburn muttered. "Three Autobots! This is too much for me! Until we meet again!" the Cybertronian said as he clutched his damaged shoulder. A groundbridge opens up behind him to retreat into. Afterburn detaches his head, transforms back into suit mode, and reverts back to Finn.

"With that out of the way, let's win this race!" Finn declared. "Done!" Seamus said as he stood by the oil tower valve. The four racers stop fighting to realize they lost. The oil tower spews fire from its top, signalling the end of the race. The people of Perth cheer for their hero in the streets and at home.

"Woo! Finn did it!" Jake said excitedly as he jumped from his seat. "Agh! Butt cramp!" he cried in pain as he rubbed his butt. "That's what happens when you sit for several hours straight." Chad said. "Your driving's not that bad." Seamus said to Finn. "And I won my first race, too." Finn added.

The four racers approach Finn. "Hey, congrats on winning Battle Road, you're not bad for a rookie." Gordon complimented Finn. "You still have to explain what those things are." Violent Death said as she pointed to the Autobots. "We're alien robots, basically." Fallback said. "What are you doing here?" Gordon asked. "You humans ask too many questions. We're going back to Perth." Springer said before transforming into vehicle mode.

"We should return to our cities as well. It's back to newcalyptus petrol for us." Risk said. They all walk to their vehicles and take off. "Hey Finn, you coming?" Seamus asked Finn through Afterburn's passenger window as it sat in front of the fence. Finn notices Simon walking into the desert. "Just wait a moment!" Finn replied to Seamus before following Simon.

He eventually catches up with him. "Where are you going? Springer is that way." Finn asked Simon. "I just want to see something." Simon said. They walk some distance away from the town until they come upon some rocks with carvings on them. "Here we are." Simon said in exhaustion.

"There's nothing here but boulders." Finn noted. "They're not just boulders… they're rocks. This is where I met Betty, one-thousand-and-six years ago." Simon said. He walks along the side of the rock where white carvings were. "I was standing here when she bumped into me. I said sorry, she said sorry, and that's where it all began." Simon muttered. He starts tearing up and covers his face.

"Simon, we'll find a way to get her back. I promise." Finn assured. "C'mon, let's go home." Finn said as he puts his hand over Simon's shoulder. They return to Alice Springs where Seamus awaited inside Afterburn. "Can we go now?" Seamus asked Finn. "Let's." Finn confirmed.

As Simon walked to Afterburn, he stumbles over a small cactus. "Huh? A cactus?" Simon said. "Simon, we're going!" Finn shouted to Simon as he sat inside Afterburn. "Coming!" Simon replied after gazing at the plant. He enters the car before it was grappled by Springer's secondary magnets and stacked beneath Fallback.

They soon return to Perth where they are dropped off at the starting line. The crowd cheers for the return of their hero and gathered at the car. "And here comes our winner! Give him a round of applause, everybody!" Lee announced. Within the crowd were Michelle and Ned in a wheelchair. "Ned, we did it! We won Battle Road!" Finn said to Ned.

"I know. I had Michelle sneak me out of the clinic to congratulate you personally." Ned said. "Let's go to our ship. I'm sure the others are totally mathed!" Finn said. Finn, Michelle, and Ned walk through the crowd as Simon was thinking. "What's eating you?" Seamus asked him. "Ariocarpus fissuratus, living-rock cactus; a plant native to the American State Texas. I tripped over a specimen earlier near the oil tower." Simon answered.

"So?" Seamus asked. "Cacti in general aren't native to Australia. That oil rig wasn't there when I first came to Australia. It should've been there long before." Simon elaborated. "What are you getting at here?" Seamus wondered. "I don't know, Dyson… I don't know." Simon answered with a tone of uncertainty.

THE END


End file.
